My thoughts on the Phillies season.

Looks like the 2009 Phillies will already be different than the 2008 World Champs.

Phillies decline Gordon, Taguchi

Righty reliever, now a free agent, hopes to return to club

By Kevin Horan / MLB.com

Gordon isn’t a surprise after his injury.Now, Taguchi, I’m surprised he was on the roster for the playoffs.

PHILADELPHIA — Reliever Tom Gordon and outfielder So Taguchi had their team option for the 2009 season declined on Friday afternoon, making them both free agents, the Phillies announced.

The team exercised a $1 million buyout on Gordon, 40, instead of paying him $4.5 million in 2009, and a $150,000 buyout on the contract on Taguchi, 39, rather than a $1.25 million salary.

Gordon’s third season as a Phillies reliever ended in July due to inflammation in his right elbow that eventually required surgery. In 34 games out of the Phillies’ bullpen this year, Gordon went 5-4 with a 5.16 ERA.

After allowing five runs in a trying Opening Day appearance, the right-hander posted a 3.68 ERA in his remaining 33 appearances.

Gordon had surgery on his inflamed right elbow last month, and he said he’d like to return to Philadelphia.

Taguchi never got on track with the Phillies. He served as a backup outfielder and hit .220 (20-for-91) in 2008, mostly as a pinch-hitter. (H/T Phillies.com)

Well, looks like the 2009 is already a bit different from the Champs. I wonder who else will be gone by Spring Training, 2009?

2 Comments

We’ll see, depending on what they do in the off-season, and what the other teams in the league do, especially those in the Eastern Division. I’m not going to take anything for granted with the fact that no one has repeated since the Yankees’ threepeat of 1998-2000, and the Red Sox being the only team to win at least two world titles this decade. If the Phillies make the right moves, they should do it. Keep your fingers crossed.

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